Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-13
THE DEMOCRACY.
discussion OF Its Future In Texas-Was
the Late Contest q Struggle for
Office or Principle!
Was 1t Battle for personal Liberty
or a Battle to Pull Down Certain
Democratic Leaders?
DETECTION AND DISCIPLINE.

DETECTION AND DISCIPLINE.
Galveston News (sntD: The claim Of
those Democrats who acted with the pro-
hibitfon agitetors in the campaign just
ended was that the Galveston enunciation
of the party left 10 individual Democrats
a free option between advocating
on the one hand ard opposing
on the other state prohibition, with
the conclusion that the exer-
else of it one way or the other involved
no question of tealty to the party organi-
z2tion. The proposition involves q GER
tain suggestion Of felo de Sc. The sug-
gestiOn is that the party had consented to
practical disarmament, upon the eve OF
q state campaign, by furloughing is en-
tire effective force for free fight upon
state prohibition, il disregard OF some
thing more than contingency
that the option given would place part OF
its field force IN array against the organi-
z.tion itself. This was thing too i'm
probable to have ever received any gen
ersl credence; but it was impossible that
q contest over state prohibition could
have been reasonably in contemplation by
the Galveston convention; for the obvious
reason that the Legislature had not st that
time provided the conditions (which could
alone render such contest possible, the
members thereof not even having been
elected question might also be raised
as to whether it comported with Demo
cratic ussges 70 keep in hand super
numerary force Of free lances, to be
turned loose in indiscriminate quar-
rel. But suppose that the claim Of
these prohibition Democrats be well
founded, and that it be in fact true
that this latitude of choosing was given
in an hour when the needs of the party
were not wisely foreseen. What are the
conditions with which the furloughed
Democrat now finds himself confronted?
Having served out his time CT enlistment
and thus kept faith with his prohibition
allies, does not the same consideration
demand of him return TO his place in the
Democratic ranks? Or, having become
enamored of the wild license of free
lance camp, has he, too, "come to stay"
The Democrat whose recent action has
brought him to this dilemma may give
profitable thought to these questions.
Perhaps it is permitted TO no enc 10 meas
ure the exact breadth OF The mantle which,
with its democratic charity, covers the
baCkslidtDg CT erring disciples. o.
liVion tor recent offenses, committed I'M
der what is claimed to have been mis-
take eftfact, would seem to be an alto
gether proper exercise Of party mGgnan-
unity. But for those Of an older date,
and which have been continuing in their
character, this oblivion would seem to
require to be so comprehensive as to take
on the form OF q general amnesty, cover
ing, in many cases, years Of party defec
ton. There is no ground upon which to
base an equitable plea OF the statute OF
limitations, or of acquiesCence By silence;
for the immunity which has been solely
due to the conscious strength of q party
of unquestioned dominance and "the
Csnkers of long peace" Party disci-
pline, for the rank aud file, is a myth
ical rod held in terrorism over
the timorous. But for him who IN
worthily wears high command the court
martial has its special terrors. 1t means
broken swords and discrediting mention
in general orders. In view Of the recent
Lesson the party will make no mistake
hereafter in requiring of every one who
wears its uniform-be he the bearer OF q
baton or 8 pike-a higher consistency.
Democracy no more permits morganatic
marriage in the political thsn in the civil
and more strictly moral relations; and
when hereafter Democrats contract such
a relation with party outside the organ
izatlon, they should be held to its conse-
quences. That respectfully large
majority of those composing the
Democratic party of Texas-leaving
out their contingent of Republican
support-hsve now distinctly pronounced
against prohibition as doctrine, is a
question placed beyond the region Of de-
bate. They have enunciated in primary
form through the ballot box, which is
higher and more authoritative than the
cut-snd-dried formulsries OF convention
resolving. The state convention to as
semble next year will doubtless give this
enunciatiop of the people enduring form,
so that no Democrat may hesitate here
after as TO where he shall flnd alignment
upon the issue of prohibition. Neither
will be put to searching through the
Iexicons to define the word "sumptuarv -
TIE trouble heretofore has been that,
under gem raj system of lsxity, back
sliders had become so numerous that
bscksliding had become almost respect
able.